Persona: Duality

by Sraosha

Amara Furaha is an aspiring artist living in the idyllic metropolis of New Motus City. One day, she is stranded in another world, and is attacked by unholy creatures - the Shadows. She, along with many others, will begin a journey to eliminate them and put a stop to the organisation that has jeopardised the safety of her beloved city. Yet, she must also try to live a normal life.

107. To Rue Our Mistakes

AN: Sorry again for the delay. This chapter ended up being longer than I thought it'd be. But on a positive note, I've outlined what the scenes of the next chapters will be, which means we're on track for finally completing Duality! And Gnosis Chapter 5 will be out soon after this one, so please look out for that. There's a bit of Gratuitous Language here, so if I've made some mistakes please tell me and I'll correct them. On a bit of personal news, I started a new job last week, which is going quite well! Anyway, please read, and if you enjoyed it, favourite/follow/review.

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Chapter 107: To Rue Our Mistakes

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|Saragel – Château De La Douleur|

Karl gazed up at the giant, alien structure that had fallen on top of the museum, completely banishing it. This peculiar building, ostensibly a castle, seemed more like a smattering of bricks, debris, darkened windows and torches, and placed haphazardly together, with a dark red tint covering the entire 'building'. The roof seemed to be made up of dark purple crystal, with pale white faces 'flowing' beneath it. And these faces were screaming eternally in horror, unable to escape the pain.

The doorway was simply a large hole, leading into a dark corridor lit by ethereal sconce, each one red in hue.

"What...what is this place?" Tara said, disturbed. "Even after all the screwed up architecture I've seen so far, this 'castle'..."

"Pierre's in here, right?" Matthew asked. "Considering he was in Legarte back in December..."

"He must be." Karl said, clenching his fists. "And so are those ghosts of his past..."

"Elaine and Jacques?" Matthew asked. "I never tried to see Pierre as anything other than a despotic criminal...not that having a bad childhood pardons him from his actions."

"It's tragic, though...what happened to Jacques." Tara said. "Even in this day and age, there are still people victimised for how they are born. Clairdol has its share of bigots too...not that anyone really listens to them."

"I know, but what makes me feel even worse is..." Karl said. "Pierre never got a chance to make up with Elaine. And when she came to find him, he was already dead..."

"Siblings shouldn't go through that kind of hell." Matthew said, almost tearful.

"Right. If Aimee was still alive in my world, I would never let anything get between us like that. Anything." Karl said.

"At the end of the day...Pierre's story is over. But Ye Olde Nihane won't let his spirit rest. That means we have to put a stop to the Leonard misery, once and for all." Tara said. "Elaine needs to grieve in peace, and for that to happen, we have to get the worlds back to normal. Are you both ready?"

Matthew and Karl nodded. With nothing else to say, the three ventured into the abominable building, to confront demons from the past.

They could only hope it would be for the last time.

|Legarte - Castillo De La Discordia|

This venue looked quite similar to Pierre's current abode, except it was largely green in colour. Not only that, there seemed to be raging winds blowing all over, causing Ethan's hair to constantly fly in front of his eyes.

"You should pay more care to your hairstyle, Ethan." Ashi said. "The unkempt look is not a flattering one."

"I wouldn't bother, Ashi, me and the others have tried to tell him that for months." Aimee said, giggling. "Although I actually think it's kind of cute, like a guinea pig with tufty fur..."

"Should I take that as a compliment? Being compared to a cavy?" Ethan said, sighing.

"I am not sure what a guinea pig looks like..." Ashi said, grimly. "There are so many things I do not know. Ethan, who exactly is this 'Carlos Nadal'?"

"He was...one of my dearest friends." Ethan said, full of earnest. "He always said I was too shy and needed to just let loose and be wild. Perhaps, if I had followed up on that advice, I would have more companions. But Carlos was a boisterous, energetic man. He loved boxing, even though he didn't compete professionally anymore."

"Oh..." Aimee said. "I forgot all about that. He...accidentally murdered his opponent."

"What? That is unforgivable! How can you call him a friend after that?!" Ashi said, disgusted.

"He never meant to do it!" Ethan yelled, angry. Taken aback, Ashi looked away, flustered. "I'm sorry. It was a long time ago now...he and the other fighter weren't good friends, and they both really wanted to beat each other. Carlos didn't realise how much pain his punches were causing...before he knew it, the ambulance had arrived, and his reputation took a huge hit."

"I see..." Ashi said. "Forgive me...I should have stayed quiet on the matter."

"It's fine. Carlos, from that day on, began regaining his honour. Treating the competition with respect, not trashing them. He moved to this city from Spain, and he ended up working... at this company called Aeternus." Ethan said.

"Oh, that sounds familiar..." Ashi said. "Ah, yes. In an old textbook I once read, full of words in an 'extinct' language named Latin. The language of the Roman Empire. I was educated strictly, from what I remember. Anyway, 'aeternus' means 'eternal'. And..."

"And...?" Aimee asked, intrigued.

"I was an expert healer!" Ashi said. "I knew all the local flora, and their properties. I knew how to treat broken bones, muscular injuries, infections and so forth! Myself and other medics in our home created a team of healers. Since we were saving lives, we called ourselves Aeternus. Dedicated to prolonging the blessed miracle of life. Or 'vita'." She laughed, giddy at her vast breadth of knowledge.

Is she serious? There was an Aeternus hundreds of years ago, and she was in it...? That group saved lives, but the one we usurped consumed them. What irony.

"That's..." Aimee mumbled. "No wonder your Persona can heal. That's like mine. It took a long time for mine to be able to attack as well, though."

"I see. If I ever get to return to the group, I might see about inviting you to join." Ashi said. "If we can both excel at healing magic, then we should all pull through. Our enemies may have the chance to recover as well...we must be mindful of such situations."

"Understood." Ethan said. "...Then let's go. I need to let Carlos rest in peace. For my sake...and for his daughter."

|Saragel – Château De La Douleur|

The interior of this castle was just as absurd as the exterior. After walking down the hallway into the darkness, the team wound up inside what appeared to be the living room of Pierre's family home. Karl could not help but admire the red vibrant furniture, some of the most luxurious he had ever seen. Many doors were closed to them, but they were able to peek into several bedrooms. One of them, presumably Pierre's, had many contemporary computer parts and books, and there was a gigantic box of Lego – no doubt from the hours he and Jacques had played together.

In front of this box was a castle, a rather regal looking one, made up from many bricks. Next to it were more feminine touches, such as horses, princess mini figures, and a boat house. Clearly, Elaine had come inside, perhaps to get the two boys to go to bed, only to end up enticed to join their fantasy world.

Pierre, Elaine, and Jacques...they clearly had a lot of great memories together. Just like I do with my sister, and my best friend. Now, in my world, I'm the only one left...and Elaine is the same. How does she live with that feeling? Is it like mine...like your heart can never be filled again?

During all of this, however, the team had many more Shadows to contend with. There were odd ones, such as doll-like figures dressed up as Japanese 'maiko' – apprentice geisha. While graceful in their dances and instruments, they fought to kill. Yet Karl, perhaps now at his absolute peak, could smash any Shadow into dust. And Tara could sunder the earth, while Matthew brought down the winds of destruction.

However, their god-like powers were not enough to make them forget their situation. That this 'dungeon' was a strange abstract place, made up of places that Pierre seemed to know. After heading into the back garden, and passing a lone football lying in the grass, the team had no choice but to go through the gate – which suddenly warped them to a red brick French secondary school. Karl reasoned that it was here that Jacques had to endure day after day of torment & abuse from his peers.

As regal as the academy appeared, the team's exploration of it was still marred by Shadows. And while the team walked, they kept hearing a sad, wailing voice. Whimpering, tearful...Karl knew who it was right away. Even if Jacques couldn't speak English, Karl could just see him pleading, begging his tormentors...

If I were at school with you, Jacques...I wouldn't have stood for that. Maybe I'm luckier than you, but...I know how it feels to be 'different'. We probably could have been friends, just sitting back and watching the best teams of France play a good game...but fate has a nasty habit of taking great things away from the world.

The group's travels continued, onto a long and beautiful riverbank – filled with flowers, clear flowing water, and even tiny fish swimming through. Karl could now hear the gleeful laughter of three happy young children, and the sounds of splashing water. The sun shone down, and Karl finally was able to smile.

This was a good day in Pierre's life, he thought. Proof that he had brought some joy into this planet. Karl could sense that Pierre, no matter how tangible he was, was nearby, and so prepared himself for a bitter, harsh battle. He would enjoy this glimpse of French nature while he could.

And finally, after reaching the end of the road, the team were warped back into Pierre's house. This time, it seemed to be Jacques' bedroom – yet the furniture was overturned, the window smashed, and...

"Oh my god!" Karl yelled. Near the window, there was a chair. And there was a pool of red liquid on that chair, dripping onto the carpet. Glass fragments, tainted in this same crimson, were all around.

Tara covered her mouth in shock, horrified, while a stunned Matthew tightly held her in his arms. Karl felt a huge lump in his throat, and when the tears came to his eyes, he shed them without relenting.

"Is this your idea of a joke? You invited me to meet you here, only to tell me my brother is...is DEAD? Why...how? I haven't seen him for over ten years! I...I had a whole speech prepared for him!"

"Who's that?!" Tara, rather on edge, demanded. "Show yourself!"

In front of the bed appeared a tall woman, with long red hair in ringlets. She wore a white coat, a red wool scarf, and black trousers and heels. She had a red aura around her, as well as orange eyes.

"Elaine?!" Matthew said. "That's right. We had to tell her about Pierre. ...As you might have guessed, it was an emotional time for all of us."

Should I have been there? No, she wouldn't have accepted the news any better. When they told me about Aimee, it wouldn't have mattered how gently the news broke. My whole world broke apart then, and now I'm rebuilding it. So can she...

Suddenly, another person appeared next to her. It was a tall, thin youth wearing a smart white shirt, underneath a grey school blazer. There was a red badge on it, depicting a silver lion. He bore blonde hair, and wore a red tie on. And there were tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Pierre...they did it again...they...they pushed me into the toilet! And they stole those new shoes...the ones you saved all your pocket money for! I couldn't fight back...I'm so sorry, Pierre! I thought someone would stick up for me at school, but you're the only one...please, help me! HELP ME! You're the only...the only one that can make it go away! PLEASE!"

"No! I don't want to hear this anymore!" Tara shouted. "I know what happened to Jacques was awful! And I know that there will always be people who give in to their prejudices. But why force us to hear these awful memories?!"

"Shut your damn mouth, bitch! You evil, ghastly woman...you waited for me to arrive all the way from France, only to tell me this?! Answer me this instant! Where is my brother?! If he is dead, show me to his grave! Or was he cremated? You have to tell me everything...why are you hiding all of this from me?! Answer me, harlot!"

"Don't call Tara that! It...it wasn't easy having to tell everyone what had happened, you know? But we had to do what we could! If you found out what Pierre had been up to..." Matthew yelled.

"No. It's not worth it, you two." Karl said. "These two are just ghosts...based on our regrets. We tried to do right by the Ater Vox, and told their relatives and friends about their passing. But we couldn't give them the whole truth...it would hurt far more than any lie."

In the middle of the two, there was a burst of black energy. Then, there was Pierre, eyes as yellow as his family. He was dressed in his casual clothes, however, a simple green shirt, yellow tie, grey trousers and brown shoes. Yet he still had his favourite earring.

"Pierre..." Karl said. "We've got to do this, right? To save our buddies..."

Pierre nodded, as a tear of blood fell from his inhuman eye. Outside of the broken window, framed by red curtains flapping in the wind, were giant red crystals. Inside them were the Holy Cross, forced to watch the fight from afar.

No one wants to let you guys rest in peace, do they? Then it's up to me again. Fuck you, Nihane Kronos. Fuck you for everything!

Pierre's yellow eyes turned brighter, as Loki briefly appeared behind him. His favourite swords appeared in his hands. Yet what happened next was even odder. Jacques stood upright, and a pair of boxing gloves appeared in his hands – identical to Karl's. Not only that, an inverted Aeneas manifested.

"Huh? What the heck?" Karl muttered. "How...?"

"It's the Nullity Masquerade. Or rather, its splinters." Matthew grumbled. "Elaine's probably gonna do the same..."

Elaine was soon equipped with a floral rapier sword– the exact sort that Bianca could use. And above her appeared to be a negative Gabriel Praeco, carrying an inverted rose in her hand.

"Damn you!" Tara yelled. "Nihane, your necromancy won't scare us that easily. I'll cut these ghosts to ribbons, then I'm coming after you!"

|Castillo De La Discordia|

This dark domain was every bit as implausible, yet unnerving. Aimee, Ava and Ethan had arrived at the end of the long hallway, only to find themselves venturing into Monsteny Park of Barcelona. To arrive in a different country altogether made absolutely no sense, but Ethan knew this place from photographs he had seen.

Carlos loved coming here. Back when he was fighter, he was always training here with Senor Sergio, and on his time off, he'd be with Julia. Those were good days, and now they're over. Yet the past has a horrible habit of coming back to haunt us. How? How am I supposed to look to the future, when fate won't let me see anything but the past? I can't take it anymore!

Ava, concerned, decided to keep a close watch over Ethan. Whenever they ran into Shadows, such as ones based on Blimps or Dirigibles, she would always remain vigilant. Not once would she leave him unguarded. Some powerful instinct was taking over her body in every single fight, and Aimee was left stunned. Ava was so devoted to her brother's descendant...but there was no way she could have known that. As far as she knew, there was no Jahan.

The group's nostalgic tour of Spain continued, when the group ended up walking through the sunlit Barcelona Zoo. There were many animals there, such as kangaroos, peacocks, and even an albino gorilla called Snowflake, who had since passed away in 2003. Aimee was able to get up close to some of the world's most amazing creatures, even the elephants, but these animals did not respond to her. However, the group could often hear an adult man and a young girl laughing in sync.

Julia Alcantara...I wish you could have spent more time with your father. Carlos was seduced by a false world, where he could start over with her. And that is all my fault. Would you ever forgive me? Our times together in that project room were the best of my life.

"Ethan..." Ava said. "You seem to be on the verge of tears. Carlos must have had some fortune, to have travelled to a place where animals are on display like these. But, if it is any solace to you...Mr. Nadal must have enjoyed living."

"Thank you." Ethan said. "For...trying to cheer me up."

"I cannot banish your sorrow entirely..." Ava said. "All of this paranormal behaviour is confounding, but...if we are to fulfil our task, then please...feel free to talk to me. I will always be listening to you."

"You two got close pretty fast..." Ashi said.

"What? It is nothing illicit! We are friends!" Ava snapped. "And when I see him, something inside me becomes alive. An urge to keep any and all harm away from him. Of course, I don't understand why, but..."

"I appreciate your help, Ava." Ethan said, wiping his eyes. "I sure could have used it when I was back in the orphanage. I didn't have a family to guide me, and I was just another child for the adults to look after..."

"You have no living family at all? That is...tragic, beyond words." Ava said.

"You're...absolutely right." Aimee said, sadly.

The team, after leaving the zoo through a gate, ended up through other locations. One of them was a bedroom, full of girl's toys, clothes, and a poster of Carlos on the wall. It depicted him with shorter hair, and in a pair of black boxing trunks – showing his toned physique. Seeing it made Ethan's heart ache. For by being manipulated by Janus, he had sent Julia's hero to an early grave.

The next thing the group knew, they were walking through other venues, such as the rustic looking tapas bar, and what seemed to be a dusty, dark room. Each table had an aged off-white computer on them, all running Windows 95. Each of them were running various programs, and there many notebooks full with complex C code. Around one particular table were many small photographs, revealing a baby girl in a pink outfit – with her father's eyes.

Finally, the madness had reached its apex. The trio were walking down towards a boxing ring, and could hear the deafening cheers of an invisible crowd. The instant they reached the ring, events further took an impossible turn – the three were on the ring, without climbing up.

"What is this...?" Ashi said. "That glowing box we saw earlier. The place that sold 'tapas'. This square platform, barricaded by rope and posts. I've never known any of these customs!"

"This is a boxing ring, Ava." Aimee said. "Do you know what boxing is...?"

"It's a sport where men – or women – try to knock each other out by punching each other, wearing padded gloves." Ethan said, gazing around at the eerily empty seats. "There are a lot of variations around the world. Some that allow competitors to use their feet, like Muay Thai - "

"Alright, I think I can grasp the basics. In fact, I recall men in my village engaging in a similar pastime." Ava said, reflecting on this. "Although they wore white, loose robes, and fought with bare hands. If I recall, they said they had fused disciplines from other nations into one...with unique customs of our own, to give it extra distinction. "

So with Amurdad's destruction, a martial art faded from existence. I wonder if Nihane Kronos used this 'fusion' style? I might find that out the hard way...

Just then, the group heard screams from the audience, and lots of concerned wailing in Spanish. There was a puddle of red fluid on the right side of the ring, as if someone invisible was coughing it up. Disturbed, Aimee looked up – and gasped. Trapped in red crystals were Richard and Alastair, both shouting out at the three. But their voices were rendered into muffled silence.

"Are you Miss Davenport? I've been waiting for so long to hear any news about my papa! Where is he? I have to see him! ...What's with that face? He's safe, isn't he? There's so many things I need to tell my papa! …Why aren't you saying anything?!"

"J-Julia?!" Aimee asked. "...Where are you?!"

Above the blood, appeared the ghostly image of Carlos – dressed in his casual outfit, of a blue jacket and jeans. Next to him was a teenage girl, the Julia that had came to the city in December.

"My boy Carlos...dead? Senorita, you've got to kidding. Nothing can kill my boy! He's stronger than a dozen ox! Sure, he's not a young bull anymore, but he was twice the fighter I was! ...Stop saying it! I didn't fly all the way over here to hear this!"

Aimee, frozen to the spot, gasped with fright at the next ghost. A tall, muscular man with shorn grey hair and greying-blue eyes stood next to his 'boy'. Even in his navy leather coat and black t-shirt, he cut an impressive figure. No doubt Carlos had learned much of his devastating technique from Sergio, a former champion Spanish boxer.

"Who are you two?" Ava asked. "I can see you're both upset, but we did not come here to cause you grief. Whatever is troubling you, I will do my best to help! You have my word."

"NO! STOP TALKING! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANOTHER WORD! YOU HEAR ME?! ANOTHER WORD! Papa HAS to be alive! He HAS TO! I read the newspaper every day to see what was happening...even Mama wanted to see him! WHERE IS HE?!"

"My boy...my boy...dead? The last time I talked to him, he...he was looking forward to coming home for a visit! To see Julia in the school play...how did it happen? You know something, don't you? Come on, tell me! I have to know how my boy died! NOW!"

"Stop! Stop it! I SAID STOP!" Aimee cried. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she fell to her knees, head in her arms. Ava immediately went to her, holding her close. "Stop...I'm sorry! I had to tell you the truth I could say...Carlos loved you both! He wanted me to...to...let you know that! I didn't want to have to say it to you both..."

"Aimee, it's...not your fault." Ava said. "These two will someday understand. Yet the ones in front of you now are not them!" She turned to the three wraiths, and scowled. "All of them are just shadows of your pain...do you want them to haunt you, until the day you die?"

"No! No I don't...but how do I make it stop?!" Ava shouted.

"You must...face it, head on." Ava said, gently. "You and I...we barely know each other. But I can sense people's spirits very keenly. And yours is one of incorruptible love. Let that be your strength. None of these monsters was enough to break you before. Why should they now?"

Aimee, wiping her tears away, finally stood up. She looked to her left and right, at the yellow eyes of her ghostly accusers. Finally, she took her weapon, and screamed.

"Persona!"

Out of her body came Concordia, the goddess of peace. Ava followed suit, and she was joined by Mithra. In awe of his sister's compassion, Ethan let out the force of Sraosha.

We can do this. Carlos, I'll put you to rest soon!

Carlos, without uttering a word, motioned for Venti to appear. Julia, however, developed a weapon much like Aimee's. Not only that, she created an inverted Concordia to aid her. Moreover, Sergio cracked his knuckles. His fabricated body was soon united with another falsification – Reverse Ceridwen.

"...Huh?" Aimee said. "Why...are they using our Personae?"

"And why is his Persona a female?" Ava asked.

"It must be because...they are fragments of the Nullity Masquerade." Ethan said. "It seems a house divided cannot be so easily conquered. Yet...we shall fight on!"

|Saragel – Château De La Douleur|

"Karl!" Matthew said, ducking under a punch thrown by Jacques. Despite the boy's weedy body, his fists seemed just as fast and strong as the athlete they were inspired by. "We're going to need a boost here!"

"And fast!" Tara said, clashing blades with Elaine. "These ghosts aren't just pale imitations...there's tremendous power in all three of them!"

Karl was busy weaving and rolling away from Pierre's rapier thrusts, and leapt aside from a rather vicious riposte. Finally, he was able to manifest Aeneas. With his Persona, he granted himself and his two friends the strength of Orichalcum.

"Great!" Matthew said. Finally, he let loose and slashed wildly at Jacques – throwing in some leaping strikes. "Oh, yeah! Now I feel like I could cut through titanium!"

"Why are you getting so excited?!" Tara snapped, swinging at Elaine. "Have you forgotten what Jacques went through?"

"Not for one second." Matthew said. "But that isn't the man I'm fighting right now! This is just a ghost trying to guilt Karl. Well, I'm not letting Nihane mess with one of my bros!"

"What, another one?" Karl said, surprised. "Just how many do you have now?"

"As many as there are guys like you I can trust!" Matthew said.

Karl, smiling, managed to land some brutal punches on Pierre's body. It seemed like the real Pierre's soul was here, but it was unable to find a voice. And its body was just a fragment of a demon birthed by unholy means.

Finally, Pierre pushed Karl back, and summoned Loki. With the Trickster, he cast upon himself a Blasted Blockade. With it, any attack on him would harm the user – unless they could hit a weak spot in the invisible forcefield. Which was like trying to find a needle in a haystack the size of Tokyo.

"What...did he just do?" Matthew asked.

"He's protecting himself..." Karl said. "Let's focus on one of his allies for now! Attacking Pierre is just going to hurt ourselves!"

"Gotcha! Then I'm going to take this Orichal-thingamajig, and I'm going to turn it up to the max! Go, Ehecatl! Hunting BEAST!"

There was a sound of audible sharpness, and Ehecatl's claws became so clear, so sharp, they seemed to be tearing through the air itself. With this, Matthew practically started to dance with his knives, slicing Jacques as hard as he could.

He really is trying his best here...I gotta thank him after this. Tara too. I never thought about it until now, but if the worlds actually do get to separate, I'll never get to see them again. Well, maybe Tara, but it's not the same. I just wanted us to spend our time together doing normal stuff...why does life hate me so much sometimes?

Jacques, however, seemed rather aggressive. He finally was able to land a punch in Matthew's stomach, and managed to hit Tara too. Next, he called upon Reverse Aeneas, summoning a strength that was not his own.

"Pierre is so cool...I just wish I could help him for once!"

The false Persona managed to cast upon Pierre a Guardian's Oath. This meant that Pierre had two layers of protection now – but at least Elaine could not add another, Karl told himself. He was familiar with Bianca's fighting style, and was confident she could not cast any annoying shields.

"Ugh! You're pretty tough, aren't you?" Tara said, slashing Elaine hard across her face. "Course you are...Bianca is one of the strongest ladies I've ever known. But I know what it's like to want to protect someone close to me...especially someone I love."

"Tara..." Matthew said, smiling.

Oh, come on! Just say it already! You two are an item!

"You might not have been able to save Jacques...but you can still save yourself from this pain! If you ever come back to this city, I'll be there for you! I just have to take down this copy of yourself first...Chehooit! Gaea's Quagmire!"

Underneath Elaine's feet was a soft marsh, that trapped her. Then, it vanished, but not before sending its debilitating effects into her. A blue glow appeared, but then seemed to dim – perhaps her mastery over water had been diminished.

"Did you even know that I have children now?! 13 and 9 years old! Francesca and Olivia... I wanted to show them their Uncle Pierre at last! But that's not going to happen, is it? How is my family supposed to heal!?"

Reverse Gabriel Praeco took a sprig of mistletoe, apparently from thin air, and gave it her full enchanting grace. It flew, growing in size, and set in place above Elaine.

Shit. That means hitting Elaine is dangerous, too. Guess I need to be brave. I'm not proud of having to fight any of them...but what choice have you left me with, fate?

"Aeneas!" Karl cried. His Persona shared the same conviction – and drove a Gallant Gladius through the phantom sisters' flesh.

Pierre, likely not of his own will, prepared to drag his opponents into the depths of darkness. Via Loki, his Cruelle Couer beat fast, hitting Karl with its full pulse of dread. Not only that, Karl could feel his strength slipping, and his health declining...

"Fuck! Poison!" Karl grumbled.

"You don't have to stand for that! Go infect him!" Matthew said.

"I don't know any Poison moves..." Karl whined.

"Then I guess I'll have to be our Plague Doctor!" Matthew said, with a sinister gleam in his eye.

"...They didn't cause illnesses. They tried to cure them." Tara said, deadpan.

"Damn. I knew I should have paid more attention in that History class. Well then, uh...go, Ehecatl! Gory Venom!"

Ehecatl, already proud of his razor sharp claws, dipped them into the ground. Immediately upon retrieving them, one could see they were pure purple, and seemed to be dripped acid. Satisfied, the Persona pounced forward. Karl was worried, however, about the Blasted Blockade – yet it seemed the feline had found that needle in the haystack after all. Pierre was soon stabbed and shorn by poisonous claws, leaving him with a deep infection – not to mention painful claw marks.

"For a detective, Matthew, your Persona's crazy wild." Karl commented.

"Hey, when I'm on duty, I'm a real pro. Off duty, I know how to party..." Matthew said, smug.

"So I guess you're good cop and bad cop..." Tara said.

"Don't have to stick to our protocols and codes here, babe! When it comes to Shadows and their affiliates, I can catch them any way I want!" Matthew said, excitedly.

"...And I thought you were the sensible brother." Tara said, rolling her eyes – but with a slight smile. "You stay focused on the fight! These three are going to be tough, and swinging your claws around like crazy won't cut it!"

"No, Pierre! You can't stoop to their level! They're nothing but lowlife thugs. You and I are better than that!"

Elaine, channelling the ice of Reverse Gabriel Praeco, cast down the chilling Mabufudyne. Karl shivered, teeth chattering. He almost started to agree with Amara on how bad the winter was.

"Oh, I'm a lowlife, am I?" Tara snapped. "You ought to act more graceful, Lady Elaine. Chehooit! Mamagnadyne!"

A grand quake struck the three enemies, shaking them – and the entire home felt like it was going to collapse into a heap, too.

"Oh yeah. Amrita!" Tara said. In barely any time at all, she had alleviated Karl of his poison. "See, Matthew? This is what a Plague Doctor would do."

"Really? They had Persona too?" Matthew asked, curious.

"...You should be grateful you didn't need a good History grade to get into that police station." Tara said.

"It doesn't matter where we go, Elaine...it's like this everywhere! Once everyone found out...all my friends sit away from me! They talk about me behind my back, and people steal my things, break them...I can't take this anymore..."

Jacques, as desperate and helpless as he sounded, still managed to summon great strength. With Reverse Aeneas, he attacked Tara with his own Gallant Gladius.

"Ouch!" Tara said. "Jacques, if you had lived in Clairdol...I'm sure we would have welcomed you! I'd see to that myself! We're wiser now. We've seen for ourselves just what harm will come of prejudice. Don't you see? Amurdad was destroyed by our ancestors, and we were almost wiped out centuries later! But we can recover. And we will. We have enough reminders to haunt us already..."

"Exactly." Karl said. "We will rise again, in both worlds. I'm in a position where I can make a difference. I won't waste it! That's a promise. Aeneas! Mass Destruction!"

The knightly Persona followed this command, by taking his sword. This art, taught by Zao, would be put to good use. Two triumphant strikes of his blade, and Aeneas had driven the false Jacques to pure agony.

Pierre was not willing to acquiesce to defeat, it seemed. Loki emerged once again, and this time it decided to demonstrate that it was very much possible to fear the light. The paragon of this was his old favourite, Peur Lumiére. A red sharp beam of light was fired at Karl, and it seemed to burn even more than any summer heat he could have recalled.

"ARGH!" he yelped, leaped back – only to be stabbed by Elaine. However, she was immediately struck down by Tara's weapon, and Matthew followed up with a leaping stab attack.

"Are you okay, Karl?" Tara asked.

"Yeah...thanks, guys." Karl said, holding his chest.

"Hey, Tara! Maybe we need some protection too!" Matthew suggested.

"Not NOW, Matthew – oh! You mean actual protection." Tara said, flustered. "Chehooit! Walled Garden!"

The Earth Mother enchanted all three of the living fighters with a robust green shield. It was doing its job very well, as Reverse Aeneas could not even make Matthew's barrier budge with Solemn Stiletto.

"Why, Pierre? Why did I have to be born like this? If I was like you two, everything could be fine...but around here, it's not going to work! I tried running away, but I...I can't leave you two behind! What do I do? You keep risking your safety to get me out of trouble...and I don't want to worry you anymore. They're going to expel me if my attendance doesn't improve..."

"...Sorry, bud." Matthew said. "But we need to save those two outside." He pointed out of the window, where Alastair and Bianca remained trapped. "Nothing else for it but to expel you and your cousins. Ehecatl...Primal Twister!"

Ehecatl pounced forward, and dug his hind claws into the floor. Next, he swung both arms forward, as a lion would catch prey. Immediately, all three ghosts were caught in a massive storm. The tornado ripped through the room, causing the curtains to flap wildly, and the light fixture overhead fell and smashed into pieces.

"Not bad, Matt." Karl said, looking at the wrecked bedroom. "Looks more like my room now..."

"Good lord. You and Liam are animals." Tara said, disgusted.

"Guys, now isn't a good time for dirty jokes..." Matthew said. He just barely weaved out of the way of Elaine's thrusts, but Reverse Gabriel's Crysanthemum was too fast for the nimble detective to evade. He screamed, while Karl rushed in and punched Elaine hard in the face.

We've got to hurry and defeat them. Even if it means fighting those who are already dead. I just hope Liam and I never have to go through what Jacques had...

|Castillo De La Discordia|

Ethan gulped. The last time Carlos attempted to strike him down, it had ended horribly. And now, while Ethan was in this ring, a dark memory from Aeternus HQ was burnt into his mind, whenever he shut his eyes.

It's too much, Carlos...I lost sight of how many people's lives I was ruining. Janus, if I could crush you all over again, I would! ...No. I am responsible for my own mistakes. I can't let Ashi or Aimee do all the work. I will fight them to!

Gripping his sword, Ethan finally made it towards Carlos. Weaving out of the way of his famously fast punches, Ethan slashed Carlos across his chest. Next, he called upon his Persona, Sraosha.

"Evanescence!"

The miasma of ruin spread across the three enemies, dulling all their faculties. One nasty side effect of Evanescence, however, was the chance to cause an anti-Charge. Essentially, the next move would deal half of its regular damage. This had happened with Julia, whose swings of her glaive barely even affected Ava.

"Well done, Ethan! With your power, our enemies will soon be going under!" Ava said. Aimee looked at her strangely, but shrugged and turned her attention to Sergio. Rather than use his actual self's boxing skills, he was copying Shirley's insane skill at Tae Kwon Do – kicking at Ethan, and hitting him into the arena's fence.

"Ethan! Be careful!" Aimee said. However, she was soon caught off guard – by Venti's Subsolanus. A mighty purple gale sent her high, almost into the brightly lit ceiling – she fell sharply, but Ava was there to catch her.

"...My goodness! That was ruthless of him. Are you wounded?" Ava asked.

"I've been hit by some pretty awful attacks before. I just didn't expect a reprisal..." Aimee said. "I've...fought this man before. Yet it should have been for the last time."

"Then we should make it stick." Ethan said. "...For everyone's sake."

"I know!" Aimee said. "Then I shall do what I do best. Celestial Force!"

The cosmic energy of Concordia swirled around all three of the living fighters present, heightening all of their attributes. Aimee beamed in this luminescence, for it meant her allies could fight at their very best. However, Julia was not impressed at all. Screaming angrily, she ran at Aimee, slashing – only for her hits to be blocked.

"I can't ask you to stop, can I? We could have been friends in another world, but in this one...I'll always be the one who had to tell you, face to face, that your father was dead."

"Screw this city! And screw you and your stupid friends! You couldn't protect my daddy! I...I'll never see my daddy again!"

Ethan gulped. Those words were echoing throughout his ears, and he expected them to plague his nightmares for every night he ever slept. Provided he ever had the occasion to sleep again, of course. Aimee had cried for weeks after meeting Julia, Ethan remembered – and it had never left either of their minds.

Julia, enraged, called upon Reverse Concordia. Now, it was the ghost team's turn to be given the Celestial Force, which made Carlos' fists even harder to bear. Ava soon became a victim of one of them, and was hit to the ground.

"Shit! Ava!" Ethan said.

"Get away from her!" Aimee said. She soon began slashing in wide, long arcs, aiming to both Sergio and Julia at once. Sergio had joined his 'boy', however, and was preparing to kick Ava – only to stabbed in the back.

"What happened to Carlos is all down to me. Janus can't be held accountable for its mistakes anymore...I can bear your grudge. And all of your hatred. But neither Aimee nor Ashi will be harmed as a result of it!"

"Ethan...you must not seek punishment for yourself." Ava said, arising. She hit Sergio on the head with her staff, but soon switched to a more effective assault. Channelling the great power of Mithra, she radiated in the blue light of the Persona power. "Behold! Diamond Light!"

A quartet of diamonds appeared around Sergio, each one radiating blue and pink light. A succession of ghostly images of each diamond began hitting Sergio, gaining in speed with each hit. This lasted for a while, until all four of them exploded in a combined explosion of almighty luminosity.

That's...I've seen that before! When we were fighting the Masquerade, someone attacked it with that...and we had no idea who it was! Was it you all along, Ashi? Have you forgotten why you are here? I...I still cannot let you remember everything. Not yet...

Despite the pain, Sergio did not let this bring him down. He had been incensed with rage, and his strength was like a herd of marauding bulls down the streets of Pamplona. Out of his body came Reverse Ceridwen, and Aimee still raised an eyebrow.

"When I heard the news about New Motus, I came to Julia's house. I paid for both of us to go see her father! It's all she's been talking about since this whole thing began...was this flight for nothing?!"

Reverse Ceridwen glided to Ethan, and embraced him with both hands. His field of view was transformed into a hellish landscape of dark hues, where strange letters from unknown alphabets flew all over in random directions. Evil distorted laughter could be heard, the pitch and reverb changing also at random. Finally, all symbols and light gathered into Ethan with a black and red flash of phantasmal energy.

"ARGH! OWW!" Ethan screamed, writhing in pain on the floor.

"Ethan!" Ava cried. "Hold on! I can heal – ARGH!"

She had just been kicked by Sergio, and staggered backwards. However, her assailant was struck by Aimee's mighty weapon, and he was even sent into the air.

"How dare you use our friend's abilities against us!" Aimee said, seething with rage. "You will pay! Concordia! Trinity Nebula!"

A blue and orange stellar cloud of dust gathered close to the spectral boxing trainer, and grew brighter and denser with every second. Eventually, there was a trinity of great explosions, each one spreading masses of energy around the boxing ring.

While Sergio was in deep pain, Carlos was not about to be ignored. He conjured Venti, and the aerial Persona began to spin at supersonic speeds – generating a Tornado Strike of equal velocity. Its power ripped through the arena, knocking the human targets against the ropes.

"Such...power!" Ava said. "When one has full control of one's mind, their power is godly..."

"Carlos is the only enemy here who has his own mind. But he can't say a word to either of us." Ethan said. "If you can hear me, Carlos...I'm sorry. It's my fault you died. But I promise, one way or another, I will see to it you can rest in peace."

Even if that does mean I have to kill you one more time...

"Sraosha! Prism Apex!"

The blinding light of this prism strongly pierced the undead Carlos' body, and for a brief second, Ethan thought he could hear a scream. Heart pounding, he marched into the fray regardless. Without relenting, he slashed Carlos as hard as he could.

"What have you done?! What have you done to my daddy?!"

Julia, having broken through Aimee's guard, had summoned Reverse Concordia again. With the massive kinetic energy the Persona possessed, she was able to ignite a massive Shadow Flare – which engulfed around Aimee.

"Argh!" She yelled. "Is that what I've been putting all those Shadows through? Cause it really hurts..."

"Just think of it as confirmation that you're doing a good job." Ethan said.

"Absolutely." Ava said. "I must do my part, too! Mithra! Ataraxia!"

A sphere of pink and white force materialized around the weary Ethan's body, gathering pacifying blue particles. These fused with the sphere, and there was a long medley of flashes. His pain had left his body, if not his mind.

"Thank you, Ava!" Ethan said. Before he could do anything, though, he was being beset by a rapid fire of Carlos' fists. His sword was only just blocking them, and trapped like this, he couldn't stop what happened next.

Reverse Ceridwen, as ordered by Sergio, supercharged a baleful reddish light, and launched it. Soon, it was ricocheting throughout the ring, and struck all three organic fighters.

"This is torture!" Ava said. "How did you manage to survive like this for ten years?"

"Most of our battles were just against run-of-the-mill Shadows." Aimee explained. "Of course, near the end we ended up fighting some more powerful foes."

"It should have all ended with killing Janus..." Ethan stated.

"We should have known the Shadows wouldn't just go away with Janus." Aimee said. "But that doesn't mean we'll succumb to any of them! Lost Legacy!"

Concordia raised her staff high above her head, and her shield combined with it to increase the power it could channel. Fearless, she flew up to Julia, and impaled her through the 'stomach' with her powered staff, with the full force of its energy. There was a mighty burst of colour with the hit, and it even felt like the ring shuddered.

"Damn..." Aimee muttered. Julia, although injured, was still standing. "It could have defeated her instantly..."

"It's not over yet!" Ethan said. He dodged Sergio's kick, while Carlos reached Aimee. "Oh no! Look out!"

Venti, in a blur, flashed in front of Aimee. In the space of a few seconds, Aimee was hit seven times. This was the fearsome Septentrio, one of Carlos' best attacks – and Aimee's agony was proof of that.

"Our only strategy is to wear them all down." Ava said. "And I shall give my full support! Mithra! Radiant Sun!"

The burning light of this sun shone down on Carlos, and it seemed to burn him severely. Yet he was not beaten, stubborn as he was, and he continued to wail on Aimee. Even Ava hitting him with her weapon didn't slow his combo down.

Sergio, a fierce warrior in his own right, seemed to have gained all of Shirley's strength. He began casting upon Ava a Grieving Rune, then kicked Ethan high up in the air. He yelped, and hit the ground painfully.

"I really failed your best student, didn't I?" Ethan said. "I'm sorry. But I can't die yet! Almacia!" Sraosha, having become a foremost master of his sword, imbued it with supreme magic energy. Next, he drove it through Sergio, delivering a shockwave all around the stadium.

Julia, however, seemed to have an idea. She had already been directing all her hatred towards Aimee, and was preparing to summon all of Concordia's energy. Then, it came – the same omnipotence that Aimee had attempted to use moments ago. Lost Legacy.

Except this time, it had the desired affect. Aimee collapsed, without even a whimper.

"Aimee!" Ava yelled.

"No!" Ethan said. "Ava, do you know any revival abilities?"

"I...I'm not sure!" Ava said, flustered. "We have to do our best, even with one down!"

Suddenly, there was a flicker of light. Concordia, without invocation, pulsed into being. Raising her divine hands, she became shrouded with healing light. Wisps of pink light appeared, creating a vaguely angelic shape. This, for the first time, was Aimee's Angel Kiss – and the angel flew straight to the fallen maiden. With one kiss on her forehead, it disappeared.

"...Huh?" Aimee muttered. She opened her eyes, to see the overbearing lights shining down at her. "...What happened?"

"It's a miracle." Ethan said. "Your Persona really was born to heal. Even yourself..."

"...Concordia saved me?" Aimee said. "When I fell unconscious, I was really afraid...because I wasn't going to be able to help you two. But now I can still fight! This isn't over, not by a long shot!"

Standing up, she grabbed her weapon, and immediately began swinging it at Julia. This may not be a boxing match, but it was still a fierce brawl for the ages.

|Pierre Battle|

The fight had gone on for quite a while, destroying the bedroom even further. Winds had raged, the earth had been sundered, and blades had clashed. Sparks flew with every altercation, and neither the living nor the dead seemed any closer to reaching a victory. Karl had been in many close games of his career – and of course, many battles that could have seen him killed. Walled Garden had bought them some time, allowing them to attack without worry, but now that wall of protection had faded.

"Damn!" Karl said. With both Leonard siblings lunging at him with their swords, he had no choice but to keep moving. He managed to hit Elaine high in the air, but this left him open to some nasty attacks courtesy of her brother.

"Karl!" Tara gasped, worried. Matthew was preoccupied with Jacques' rapid punches, and countered with some rather reckless knife swings.

"I'm okay." Karl said. "But they won't be for much longer!" He defended himself from another sword piercing his body, and managed to summon Aeneas. "Divine Sabre!"

Finally, Karl had managed to upgrade one of his early arts, the Shining Blade. Said blade had now been blessed, and would be used to exorcise these demons posing as Pierre's family. Aeneas' sword, a bright light blue, was brought down upon them – while Pierre took most of the pain, the holy light was severe enough to lash the other two. With Blasted Blockade gone, there was no need to relent in attacking Pierre.

Of course, the once-shady Frenchman had never relented in battle before. Even after his own death. Thus, the true evil of the flames was ignited, by the sinister Loki's Flamme Mauvais. Dark red flames scorched the ground, and Karl once again was exposed to this intense burning heat.

"Shit..." Karl said. "One minute I'm freezing, the next I'm burning..."

"It's the French weather." Matthew said, dryly.

"That's one way to put it." Tara said. " Come on, Matthew, we need your full strength here!"

"Hmm...I didn't think I'd need this one move, but if I'm gonna crack this case, I better crack some skulls at the same time!" Matthew said. "Ehecatl, gimme some Savage Sharpness!"

Ehecatl appeared, and brandished its claws – which all began to shine intensely bright, with a very audible, and disturbingly visceral sound. Karl whistled – at this stage, Ehecatl's claws couldn't possibly become any sharper. They could probably render diamonds into dust, and that dust would become too small for any eye to see.

"What are you doing – no, stop! Don't hit me! I'll give you all the money I have! I don't want any more trouble! Just let me go home, please!"

Karl, sighing, seemed to realise something truly sad about Jacques life. As a teenager, he must have had very few happy memories. All he could depend on was the fact that neither of his cousins, who were more like siblings, would never abandon them. And one day, that would not be enough.

Jacques, however, pulled off a tremendous Hat Trick, and the entire team were sliced by Reverse Aeneas' blade. Some tables and chairs were broken into pieces, but the organic fighters were still standing.

Elaine and Jacques were both vanquished. And now Pierre was almost defeated. However, despite the massive injuries his ghostly body had sustained, he did not look back in anger. Rather, he looked upon Karl, and...smiled.

"Ugh..." Matthew said, falling to his knees. "This is...hell..."

"Dammit...my Persona's supposed to resist physical attacks. How the hell is he hurting me so much?"

"...Because he's got your Persona." Tara explained. "He's able to hit you where it hurts..."

Maybe she's right. I've been thinking about him a lot since I saw him in those memories of Pierre's. Perhaps it's because I want to relate to Jacques that it hurts so much. I've got to keep on fighting him, so I can get beyond this feeling of guilt.

"Don't worry. You're the real deal. You can beat this copycat in no time!" Tara said. "But first...Beloved Meadow!"

The four of them were transported to a lush grassy meadow, with gorgeous flowers and tall trees everywhere. The sun was shining, birds were chirping, and butterflies flew from flower to flower. Just observing this brilliant spectacle soothed the body and soul.

"It's...amazing. Every time Chehooit shows us this place, it always feels so nice..." Matthew said, already recovering.

"Of course it does." Tara said. "A lot of things make me feel that way inside my heart these days."

"Aww..." Matthew said, blushing.

"Pierre, what are you saying? Of course we have to call the police! This time it's gone too far! It doesn't matter if 'children' broke Jacques' arm! He's a child too! If you won't dial 112, I WILL!"

Elaine reached far out, piercing Matthew with her sword. Next, she summoned the eerie Reverse Gabriel. An angel of both flowers and water, it was only natural that even this hollow copy could grow her own Water Lily. The pink and orange flower blossomed, and grew to a grand size. Once it began to spin, each petal fired out fierce gushing water, hitting Matthew each time.

"Fuck!" Matthew yelled, falling on his back. "Owwie! My butt!"

"Crap." Tara said. Pierre was rushing at her with both swords, but with great dexterity, she blocked both of his swings. "Get up, Matthew! We need your help!"

"I know, I know!" Matthew said, leaping back into action. Elaine was near him, and without hesitation, he slashed at her face. "Take that, bitch! You can't keep me down! You're abetting the criminal at large!"

Striking a pose, he summoned Ehecatl – who launched into his brutal Tornado Beast. With its brutal claws fully capable of dissecting any material known in the universe, it wasted no time in ravaging this ghoul that would wear Elaine's face. Each slash seemed to flash the arena with red light, making Karl shudder slightly.

"That's it!" Tara said. Elaine seemed to struggle to stay balanced, and her swordsmanship missed its mark – completely missing Karl. "She's on the ropes. But we can't let the other two help her recover!"

"But neither I nor Pierre know any healing moves." Karl pointed out.

"Maybe not. But Janus certainly bent the rules – why wouldn't his greatest henchman?" Tara asked.

"Oh yeah...these guys really are all fragments of that Masquerade loon." Matthew said. "Doesn't make them any less difficult to face. If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, then it's a duck..."

"I think I get it. We know it's not Elaine or Jacques in front of us. But we can't stop ourselves for thinking that." Karl said. "Let's hurry up and defeat them!"

Pierre leapt towards the back of the room, next to another window. Several framed pictures had fallen to the floor, smashed entirely. He may not have let out a single sound, but he still could make a Bloody Roar. Circular shockwaves of dark energy rippled throughout the foyer, each one stronger than the last. And Karl knew now what these waves had done to him, other than trying to rip him into countless pieces.

"Oh, shit...Enervation?!" Matthew said. "It feels like I'm getting old..."

"We're going to have to be careful..." Tara said. She ran from an advancing Pierre, sluggishly. Unfortunately, she was punched in the face by Jacques – knocking her into a wall.

"Damn!" Karl yelled. "Aeneas! Bloody Destiny!"

Aeneas emerged, holding out his sword. As he held it, the blade turned blood red. He held it in front of his face, eyeing up the target. Finally, it was time to attack Jacques. He swung his sword using the full strength of his muscular form, all in the blink of an eye.

"Thanks..." Tara said, as Matthew helped her up. "Jacques and Elaine can't be far from defeat now. Right?"

Jacques had no intention of giving in. Even with the trio ganging up and dragging him closer and closer to his demise, he still had the drive in him to coat his allies in Reverse Aeneas' Orichalcum. Karl groaned – but when Jacques came after him, he gasped. Now, it seemed, was the time for his boxing classes to come in handy, as the two went further and further back – each trying to land a hit on the other's body.

"Sorry...guys! Kind of preoccupied here!" Karl said, desperately ducking and weaving out of harm's way.

"I suppose if these enemies are based on ourselves, they'd have the same tenacity." Matthew said. Suddenly, the two Leonard siblings began to approach them, preparing to pierce their hearts with their swords. "Shit!" Matthew rolled under their blades, and leaped up, driving his knives through each of them. "Tara! Going to need some help here...it's hard to stay focused and fight!"

"I know. Hold on a second." Tara said. "Chehooit! Amrita."

Chehooit, having done so many times today alone, provided her healing hand for the others to take. In one quick moment, the three had lost their Enveration, before any more of their energy could slip away.

"Alright!" Karl said, finally punching Jacques to the floor.

"Shit!" Matthew yelled. Elaine hit him in his side, and then set her sights on Tara. Using Reverse Gabriel, she plucked another flower from a garden that did not belong to her – the Nerine. Crystals of ice emerged from the ground, and collided into a glowing pink and yellow light. Now they bore the image of an icy, misty frozen flower. The flower flew over their living victims, and shattered in a colourful explosion.

"ARGH!" Tara screamed.

"That...that hurts!" Matthew whined. "Even worse than all my snowball fights..."

"It chills..." Karl said. "That's it. This is not the trip to France I had in mind! We're getting out of this illusion, right now!"

"But how? They're not giving up!" Matthew bemoaned.

"How else...?" Tara said, rolling her eyes. "We've got to bring out our greatest power. More than we've already done so today. Like -"

Suddenly, Jacques and Elaine stood side by side, and held each other's hands. This triggered their Personae, the Reverse Aeneas & Gabriel Praeco. The false angel flew up at the ceiling, and seemed to soar into a sky that appeared, the roof disappearing entirely. The dark knight stayed on the ground, and held his sword in both hands.

"Like that." Tara said, frightened.

The knight span his sword around, generating a fast, violent red ring of steel. Above, however, the angel flapped her dark wings, and a gushing stream of murky water came rushing down. When it touched the blade, it immediately began a dark, bloody whirlpool – that seemed to cause destruction of two kinds. One via the pressure of unholy water, the other via cursed steel. Both were part of the Flux la Douleur.

"Oh my god...that was the worse one yet..." Matthew said, shaking himself dry.

"You're...both alright, aren't you?" Tara asked.

"No need to worry about me..." Karl said, managing to stand up once more.

"Good to hear it." Matthew said. "But...we can't afford to take any more hits. Time you and me evened up the score, Tara."

"Right!" Tara said. "Let's do this, then. Chehooit, come before us!"

"Ehecatl, I'm countin' on ya!" Matthew cheered.

Chehooit mustered gargantuan boulders from the Earth, that span around her enemies like planets orbiting the Sun. Ehecatl jumped up high,and grew his claws and spikes to double their original size and strength. They gleamed red, as the stones grew heavier and deadlier.

"Terraforming!"

The two Personae gave way to synergism, via sorcery and primal savagery, to turn those rocks into beautiful, detailed planets. Each resembling planets of the Solar System. One by one, they collided into the phantasmal foes, exploding brilliantly. Jupiter and Saturn, of course, had the most striking apocalypses.

Jacques, screaming helplessly, fell to his knees. His body began to fade away, releasing only tendrils of darkness, and Reverse Aeneas became a dim glimmer. There was no power left in any of this replica to persist in existing. Likewise, Elaine collapsed too, dropping her weapon – and she too vanished into nothingness. Reverse Gabriel now was a true fallen angel, no longer visible.

"We did it!" Karl said. "Good job, you two!"

Matthew and Tara nodded, staring at each other with equal admiration. Unfortunately, they hadn't noticed that the one target who was who he appeared to be still was not felled. His body's red light flickered, drawing their attention.

Loki twirled, with a sly, mischievous smile. Then tiny embers of flame hit the three, with barely any effect. They tried to escape, but more and more miniature flames covered their bodies. Eventually, they combined, and all one could see was a great, scarlet bonfire, whilst Loki watched it with pleasure, sticking his tongue out. The flames of the Aesir's Demise disappeared, and there was a giant burnt black circle on the ground. Tara and Matthew fell to the floor limp, smoke billowing above them.

"No!" Karl gasped. Despite the massive flame they had suffered, upon checking their pulses they still alive. "...I can handle this...myself." He looked at Pierre, who stood perfectly still. Perhaps, after finally having exhausted his energy, he could resist the curse of Nihane. Yet what he needed was finality – the final killing blow.

You want me to finish you off, huh...? Got it. I did it once before, and I'll do it as many times as you need!

Aeneas held his mighty brand unwaveringly in both hands, and shut his eyes. His cape flapped loudly in the air, and his tremendous sword radiated strong, courageous virtue. Then he opened his eyes, and the sword transformed into a glorious legendary blade. He grabbed Pierre, hurtled him into the air, and flew after him in pursuit. Now the steel performance could finally begin. Each slash sparked waves of light in the air. Aeneas started preparing the finishing touch, while Pierre's body seized up, defenceless before this knight's might.

"Symphony of Swords!"

The final note of the sword ended this orchestral composition. Pierre fell lifelessly onto the hard floor, unmoving. No more energy was left in him, and his swords fell down, dissolving. Now, the room rebuilt itself, and all signs of the destruction vanished.

"Huh...?" Tara said, stirring. "We're alive...?"

"Yeah..." Matthew said, groggy, but smiling. "Karl's okay too..."

|Castillo De La Discordia|

Drenched with sweat, the battle was taking its toll on Ethan and both ladies. Yet they were not to be outdone by hollow ghosts of the past. Ethan would see to it that Carlos was free once again. With his sword, he slashed Julia as hard as he could. However, he was both punched and kicked by the other two – and Julia got him in the stomach with her weapon.

"Argh!" Ethan cried. "...Damn you!"

"Ethan!" Aimee said. "Ashi, I'll take care of him!" The other medic nodded, and proceeded to hit the aggressors with all her physical might.

A Fairy Whisper was sufficient to restore Ethan's injured body. Grateful, he stabbed his nearest target – Carlos. No longer willing to waste time with apologies, he immediately summoned Sraosha.

"Agidyne!" Ethan shouted. A burst of red-hot flame hit the Spaniard, and for a second, Ethan thought the fire alarm would sound. It then occurred to him that this was not the actual boxing ring. And this was not actual fire. The absurdity of this briefly dwelled on Ethan's mind, while he focused on blocking Julia's attacks.

"So Daddy, what's Mr Ethan like? Is he nice? Will he give me a present?"

"...Oh my god." Ethan said, shocked. "That's right, I did meet her once...and I finally bought her a toy pink fairy doll."

As if on cue, Julia subsequently summoned Reverse Concordia. And she thus used a Fairy Whisper upon Carlos, healing most of the ghostly brawler's injuries. Before Aimee could utter a complaint, she was immediately beset by the rejuvenated Carlos. In fact, she was caught up in a nasty Hurricane Melee.

"Argh!" Aimee yelled. "You...you...scumbag, Nihane Kronos! Making Carlos hurt me this way...you will regret this!"

"I concur. If that man is truly my father, I must bring him to justice! Right after we escape from this confrontation. Mithra! Crimson Pride!"

A transparent sword of the eponymous colour emerged in front of Ethan, and it spun around in a large cycle. It disappeared, and scattered its energy into him. Now, he felt great power dwelling in his finger tips – twice that of Power Charge, he believed.

I have to use this power wisely...I'm not the same anymore.

Sergio, however, was unmoved. Using his ill-gotten Reverse Ceridwen, he channelled the power of light via Taliesen's Tale. As the intensity of the text built up, hurting Ava, Aimee rolled behind him – and slashed him down his back, as hard as she could.

"Take that!" She roared. "Come on, Concordia – ah!"

A rather stormy Magarudyne ripped across the arena, shaking the overhead lights and the ropes. Ava gasped, as the wind blew her five feet backwards – allowing Julia to attack her.

"Ouch!" Aimee yelled. She tried to hit back, but Julia caught her off guard. With Reverse Concordia, she hit Ethan with a shockingly potent Ziodyne.

"Damn..." Ethan moaned. "I won't let you defeat us! Claíomh Solais!"

The blinding bright blade of Sraosha, sharper than it had ever been, managed to flash through Julia, causing her to scream in agony – a rather distorted, haunting scream at that. Ethan winced, but did not falter. He had to get beyond his doubt, if he was to prevail once again.

"Let me try this..." Ava said, summoning Mithra. "All I need are A Thousand Words!"

Mithra, holding her hands in front of her waist, closed her eyes. She opened her mouth, and the air around her turned a dark blue, expanding into a rather lurid vortex. It was as if she was singing in a pitch that only her enemies could hear – and they did not enjoy the sound one bit. In fact, it seemed as if their own spiritual power was being sucked away, and drawn into Mithra's body. Finally, with one final note, the energy disappeared, and the three enemies groaned, all every more in pain.

"...So what did that do?" Aimee asked, confused.

"Oh, I was worried I was running low on energy, so I tried that attack to steal some from them." Ava said. "An underhanded tactic, perhaps, but now is no time to obsess over principles."

"Exactly!" Ethan said. "Uh oh..."

Sergio, full of strength and vigour, called upon Reverse Ceridwen. As she had done with Shirley many times, the enchantress Persona brewed some Enchanting Awen for him – now, he had even further energy to fuel himself. To see a man of his age fight with such agility disturbed Ethan – but that was also down to his movements mirroring Shirley's.

"Okay. No more games." Aimee said, feeling rather dangerous. "This time, I'm finally going to draw out the real power of this ability! Concordia! Septentrione!"

Oh, I've seen this many times. It summons great energy based on one of the stars of the Big Dipper constellation. Dubhe, Merak, Phecda, Megrez, Alioth, Mizar, Alcor and Alkaid...what other star could she have? Or is she bluffing?

Concordia, as always, beckoned the entire Big Dipper from the cosmos into the battle arena. Except this time, all the stars shone, and the Persona finally reached for a star that was not either of them. Rather, she grasped the one brightest of them all – the current Pole Star of the planet. Yes, this was none other than Polaris.

With an insane level of light and kinetic energy, the great Pole Star began to expand, enveloping the entire ring. Then, having reached its maximum magnitude, the mighty star combusted – with a deafening and blinding explosion, one that would be felt across the galaxy.

"Yes!" Aimee cheered, giddily. "I finally did it! One by one, I ticked off the other stars, and this time I got the grand prize! How do you like that, ghouls?"

"Aimee's outdone herself this time..." Ava said.

"I must say, Aimee, you're both an expert healer and a fantastic warrior." Ethan said.

"Don't praise me just yet. We've not won this fight...just a little further, though." Aimee said, pointing to their massively injured enemies.

"Right. Stay on guard." Ethan said, tensely. Carlos stood forward, however, and cracked his knuckles. Venti did the same, and began to slide towards the team. "Huh?! No! Not this again -"

Alas, it was as he feared. Carlos was still more than capable of performing feats of destruction – at breakneck speeds, at that. Venti, with one hit per person, hit everyone high in the air. The time of the Hurricane Brawl had come.

"ARGH! What's happening?!" Ava screamed.

The power of wind surging through Venti, the nimble Persona rocketed to them. Immediately, they were all subjected to the most violent, ruthless punches thought possible, ones that could break through the rainforest. Venti's speed seemed to have reached its apex, warping to each victim in nanoseconds. With this torture complete, he punched all three down to the arena.

"Ouch..." Aimee said, in deep agony. "Did...did he break any...thing?"

"That was more than I...I am used to..." Ava said, anxiously.

"I didn't expect Carlos to use his trump card...here..." Ethan murmured. "We need to plan our next assault, and fast!"

"I agree!" Aimee said. "Ethan...let's combine our strength!"

"Pardon?" Ava asked.

"It's easier to demonstrate." Ethan explained. "Aimee, I think I know exactly what to do. Follow my lead! Sraosha!"

"Okay! Concordia, help us!" Aimee said.

Sraosha's sword, already one of considerable size, seemed to extend – thanks to the extra power that Concordia was bestowing upon it. Finally, Sraosha's sword was over fifteen feet long. Concordia, while Sraosha was holding up his incredible weapon, began to hit Sergio, Carlos & Julia as many times as she could with her staff and shield.

"Eternal Sword!"

Sraosha somersaulted in the air, and slashed all three victims savagely – enough to seemingly 'crack' the entire battlefield. Concordia ceased her medley, and disappeared.

"Incredible..." Ava said, in awe. "Why did you not tell me about this before?"

"Oh, you'll probably get a few chances later." Ethan said. "I...I think this is it. They've reached their zenith."

Carlos kneeled to the ground, and most of his energy seemed to have gone altogether. Venti was but a flicker of light, barely visible to the naked eye. Yet it seemed the duo from his past were still around to cause havoc.

"So Sergio, is my daddy really going to be the champion?"

"Course he is. With our coaching skills, he's going to be the greatest champion ever!"

"They're still trying to fight?!" Aimee said, distraught. "We have to take them out fast!"

"Leave this to me..." Ava said, resolute.

However, she did not get the chance to smite them. Rather, Sergio & Julia summoned both Reverse Personae at once. Concordia, full of the eerie power of discord, began to spin her staff powerfully above her head. Ceridwen, a malevolent sorceress, did the same with her scythe.

Soon, a gigantic star appeared above them. It was a mammoth sun, full of crimson and jet black flames. Swirling inside were the chaotic energies of the two ghouls, born from the deep pain of nostalgia. Soon, this Estrella de Castigo burst, radiating intense heat and flame for miles.

"ARGH!" Aimee yelled. Weakened, she collapsed, dropping her weapon.

"No...I'm sorry..." Ethan uttered, as he fell to the floor in a heap.

Ava, panicking, stared at the two opponents advancing on her. All she could do, in her fright, was to summon Mithra and use whatever abilities her Persona had to offer. But when she invoked her this time, there seemed to be something within her that was now 'unlocked'.

"I see! This is what I have been praying for!" Ava said, delighted. "You demons will not live to gloat one second longer. Mithra! Bestow upon me the healing hands that will deliver all injured, lost souls to salvation! Make me the Soul Evangelist!"

Mithra nodded, and with one mighty flap of her wings, she flew high in the sky, a trail of pink light behind her. Now floating high above her foes, she took her weapon, and drew a circle with it. This circle soon began to cover the entire ceiling, revealing a dark starry sky. Each of these stars glimmered brilliantly, and began to fall down, giving a soothing, calming light to this den of violence. Mithra, in a strange trance-like dance, made the stars crash down onto her master's body, as well as her two allies.

Ava seemed to be a trance of her own, as she directed this universe of healing upon her group. When Aimee and Ethan began to stir, opening their eyes, she uttered out these words:

"Never forget the flowers I sow

Or the trees that grow.

For even if one day we do depart

My soul will be in the garden of your heart."

Where...have I heard that before? It's a silly poem, but...I do know it. I'm sure I do. Why is she saying it...?

"...Ava?" Ethan asked. "What...did you just do?"

"...You are both safe?" Ava said. "I needed to do something, anything at all, to help us survive this battle. Thus, I tried to use the height of Mithra's power. Yet when I did...I felt a deep feeling inside of me. It was almost as if I had recalled my lost past, and knew exactly why I am here."

"Ava, that doesn't matter right now. We're going to be okay!" Aimee said.

"Huh? Oh...yes. Thank you again, Ava." Ethan said. "They've lost all their power. One more attack, and we're done."

"Right. So let me go first!" Aimee said. She locked onto Julia, and grinned. "I won't shed any more tears in battle. Especially not over a doll like you! Shadow Flare!"

A big burst of dark fire set the wraith aflame. Despite her anguished screams, they did not deter Aimee any further. For now she knew that she had done the only thing she could, even if it had gone worse than she had imagined. The false Julia turned to ash, disappearing forever.

"I'm afraid, Sergio, that we're the champions now. And what we have is too precious to just be mimicked!" Ethan said. "Kifuka!"

A grand procession of lightning bolts electrocuted the seasoned pro's phantom, and he would throw neither kicks nor punches – fading into the dusk.

|Château De La Douleur|

Without an iota of energy left, Pierre's barely tangible body sat up, and gazed straight at his conquerors. Once again, his soul had been prised from a malevolent power.

"Pierre...I had to do what needed to be done." Karl said. "I'm sorry I couldn't help Elaine."

Pierre shook his head. "It's...fine. My sister knows the truth, no matter how hard it was to hear. I'm just happy to know...she has a family of her own. She's a wonderful woman, my sister. I should have realised that while I was alive."

"That makes two of us." Karl said, wiping a tear from his eye.

"Looks like it's all over for me again, anyway." Pierre said. "What is it with people called Nihane resurrecting me? Tell Ethan make a habit out of it. I wouldn't mind trying this resting in peace thing longer than six months."

"Ah, don't worry. We'll keep Ethan safe." Matthew said. "He's a friend of all of us now."

"Exactly. And if he has your forgiveness, then he can forgive himself." Tara said.

"Oh, he's got that alright. No need for him to worry his little head." Pierre said. "I guess...there's nothing else left to say. Just go save the world again, okay? If there's one thing I've learned, its that you're unbeatable. Even Janus was no match for you. Au revoir."

Karl, overcome, waved Pierre goodbye. The Frenchman let out one genuine chuckle, as his body disappeared – forever. Now, this bedroom of tragedy could give way to the future again. However, the windows suddenly opened, and in flew in the fading red crystals. With them giving way, the two imprisoned Alastair and Bianca could safely land.

"Thank heavens you came." Alastair said, full of relief.

"It was a fearsome fight to watch, but you're all still alive!" Bianca said, equally elated.

"You two aren't hurt, are you?" Karl asked.

"No, not at all. We're sorry if our absence worried you..." Bianca said.

"No need for apologies! You'd have done the same for us." Matthew said.

"C'mon, we've got to get out of this 'castle'." Tara said. "Hey, what's going -"

Before she could finish that sentence, the room seemed to melt before their eyes. Everything from that painful day of Jacques' death was disappearing, merging into a shapeless canvas of colours. Eventually, the world seemed to rebuild itself in front of them, and before long, they were back in Saragel.

"How convenient." Alastair said, impressed. "...At least, compared to the ordeal you went through to save us."

"Kazuya and Richard are probably wondering if we're alright, too." Bianca said. "As bleak as this crisis seems to be, I'm...just glad to be among friends."

"Yeah, me too..." Karl said. "Couldn't just let Nihane kidnap you all like that."

"...Karl. Are you really alright?" Matthew asked.

"I never thought you and Pierre would become friends..." Tara said.

"Friends...maybe we were?" Karl said, looking up at the Museum. "It was so hard, getting used to life without my sister. And then she and Zao came back into my life. Now he's gone again..."

"But you know what might happen if we succeed, don't you?" Matthew said, cautiously.

"You'll be alone all over again...and the two of us won't be there with you, either!" Tara said.

"Don't get upset, you two." Karl said, smirking. "I've made some great friends lately. Maybe I won't have much time left with some of them, but...doesn't mean the time we spent together has to be forgotten."

"Aimee can cope with just about anything." Alastair said. "Poor angel's been fighting for most of her life. You can entrust us with looking after her."

"Are you serious, Alastair? I think she'll be the one keeping us in check." Bianca said, amused. "She just gets on it with, telling us what needs to be done...but she has faith in each and every one of us."

"I guess we'll get by. But..." Matthew said. "It would have been cool if we could have just sat back and had a beer sometime. You know, talk about your soccer, my cases at the station..."

"We might not have any beer, but we can always talk to one another." Tara said. "Karl, you probably can tell, but..."

"Aha!" Karl said, grinning. He put one hand on their shoulders, excitedly. "You two finally got together, eh?"

"It was pretty obvious, I know..." Matthew said, blushing. "But I think I've felt this way since New Years...we were celebrating it in Clairdol, all of us. And me and Tara went for a walk to watch the fireworks, and without thinking, I leaned in close. But she was doing the same...it was the best kiss of my life."

"What can I say?" Tara said. "I...I finally realised how much he meant to me. And with it being a New Year, I just felt it in the air...I was just so happy he felt the same."

"Aww..." Karl said, beaming. "You two are pretty cute together. What is it Serena says? She 'ships' people?"

"Don't ask me, bud. I'm just happy to be with her." Matthew said. "She's just my kind of gal. She's fit, and strong – in both ways. And she's great at making me laugh..."

"By which he means I know exactly where to tickle him." Tara said, smug. "But Matthew is one of the most honest, decent men I've known. Not to mention, he's adorable too. Look at those eyes! His cheeks!"

"You and your brothers seem to have a lot of luck in romance." Alastair said. He's so jealous. Maybe if he didn't spend curl his hair so much...

"Yup!" Matthew said. "Course, I'm the only one who ended up with an older woman."

"I'm not even thirty yet..." Tara said, sighing. "Ah, whatever. We wanted to say sooner, but with everything else going on, it didn't seem right."

"Another successful relationship in the rebel crowd." Bianca said, pleased. "Looks like I'll need to grow even more flowers. Being a flower girl is more lucrative than I could have imagined!"

Yikes. She's more cunning than I thought. With so many happy couples in the city lately, she'll be making a killing. She's already got Liam buying them for me. Although he says its so my apartment will look better...

"Let's get back to the others, then. Blaine's going to be thrilled!" Karl said. "Course, he'll probably give out dating tips."

"Ah, just let him. He thinks he knows all about the dating scene. Sure, he finally met the right gal, but I met mine ten years younger than him!" Matthew said, grinning mischievously. "Course, I knew Tara a long time beforehand..."

"Yup. I know everything about him. He knows all the songs for The Little Mermaid, you know. I've heard him sing them in the shower." Tara said, giggling.

"H-Hey..." Matthew said, red in the face. "A cop has to have good memory, right? So...memorising song lyrics is a good way to practice!"

"Come on, let's get going." Karl said, with great mirth. "But while we're on the subject, I wonder what other juicy secrets Tara knows now...?"

"Where do I begin?" Tara said. "Well, there's his fear of ducks..."

|Castillo De La Discordia|

"...Is this the end?" Ava asked, cautiously.

With both Julia and Sergio down, and Carlos on the verge of dissolution, Ethan was overwhelmed. He tried his best, but the tears just came flowing. He rushed towards his fallen friend, and took him into his arms.

"Carlos! I'm so sorry. I wasn't strong enough to stop any of this from happening!"

Carlos raised his arms, but not to attack. Rather...he wrapped them around Ethan, and despite not being made of flesh and bone, the crying boy could feel them around him.

"Carlos...?"

"We all forgive you, dumbass. Didn't you see us helping you out six months ago?" Carlos said, managing to smile. "We didn't think the old Nihane would show up and take over us again, though. And I didn't think I'd see Sergio and Julia like that..."

"Carlos..." Aimee said.

"You guys...it's okay to cry. I...I really can't stay in this world anymore. Sooner or later, I'm going to fade away. But I'm happy, I really am...I just wanted one more moment with my little buddy."

"You still call me that?" Ethan said.

"You were pretty hard to love when you were playing the villain. You just stick to being a hero from now on, and you'll be okay. See, even without me and the guys, you're not alone. Aimee, she's a people person. She wouldn't dream of abandoning you. And that girl you call Ava...I don't know who she is, but there's something about her. At her core, there's a desire to protect you from anything. Even eating bad paella."

"Hehe..." Ethan said, finally shedding his last tear. "Pierre never did get the hang of Spanish cooking, did he?"

"That's right. We learned that night to stick to our own cuisine. Course, Archie being English, that didn't leave him with many options. But it meant we got some great tea. I hope you remember the good year we were together, Ethan. Cause it helped all of us move on from our sadness."

"...Alright." Ethan said, managing to smile. "We've still got some cleaning up to do. Wish me luck, Carlos."

"Nah, you don't need luck. You've got all the talent you need. That,and a badass crew just waiting for your orders!" Carlos said, laughing. "...Take care, Ethan. I'll be watching over Julia and Sergio, so don't worry about them."

"...Farewell." Ethan said, finally standing up. With a big smile, the ghost of Carlos disappeared. Right after that, Kazuya and Richard were released from their fate.

"Phew. I busted my hand trying to break through that cage...thanks a million, you guys." Richard said.

"I apologise. I couldn't do anything to it, no matter how hard I tried. And Uriel wouldn't respond to anything, either." Kazuya said, bitterly. "Ethan, Aimee, you have my gratitude."

"...And?" Aimee said, hands on her hips.

"Oh! Sorry again. You too, um..." Kazuya said, staring at Ava in total confusion. "...Actually, I don't think we've met. The name is Kazuya Miyazaki."

"And I'm Richard Eden. The rebel with the killer smile!" She bared his teeth, and they did seem rather bright to Ethan's eyes.

"You might be correct on that front!" Ava said. "I actually don't know my real name, so I don't blame you for not knowing either. So, for the time being, you can call me Ava Walters."

"Ah, so you're like Ethan's big sister! The more the merrier, right?" Richard said.

"Seems like we're always being forced into strange events. This one, however, isn't so bad..." Kazuya interjected.

Before long, the entire arena seemed to liquefy, and sink into the darkness. Then came the familiar sight of the mall of Legarte, as it was of 2002.

"Whoa!" Richard said. "Back outside again...and that funky castle's gone!"

"Yes! We won!" Aimee said.

"It was a stunning victory!" Ava said, exuberant. "I was worried my inexperience would hold you both back, but my fears were unfounded."

"Yeah...you're scarily good." Aimee said, confused.

"I was a fast learner, but..." Ava began. "...This feels more complex than that. Much more.

"I...I could hear most of that battle." Kazuya said to Ethan, nervous. "Are you going to be alright, Ethan?"

"I think so...now I can stop feeling such guilt. Carlos never stopped being my friend, and...I expect the others will forgive me as well. Now that I am free of Janus' power, I need to look at myself more honestly. There are plenty of amazing things I can do. I can begin my life anew, starting from today!"

"That's wonderful..." Aimee said, warmly.

"Wow. I've never seen Ethan like this before!" Richard said. "Well, there was that one time he tried some whisky..."

"Assertive or not, I'm willing to support Ethan in saving this city." Kazuya said.

"We have to give everyone the future they deserve. My father...whatever darkness has poisoned him, he must be stopped."

There was nothing left here. Two of the trio felt unburdened, free to soar throughout the skies. And thus, they set their sights upon one destination – the palace that was now in the centre of New Motus City.